What does reasonable mean?
Definitions for reasonable
ˈri zə nə bəl, ˈriz nə-rea·son·able
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word reasonable.
Princeton's WordNet
reasonable, sensibleadjective
showing reason or sound judgment
"a sensible choice"; "a sensible person"
fair, fairish, reasonableadjective
not excessive or extreme
"a fairish income"; "reasonable prices"
reasonable, saneadjective
marked by sound judgment
"sane nuclear policy"
Wiktionary
reasonableadjective
Just; fair; agreeable to reason.
reasonableadjective
Satisfactory.
Etymology: resnable, from rationabilis, more at reason, -able.
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
Reasonableadjective
Etymology: raison, Fr.
She perceived her only son lay hurt, and that his hurt was so deadly, as that already his life had lost use of the reasonable and almost sensible part. Philip Sidney.
The parliament was dissolved, and gentlemen furnished with such forces, as were held sufficient to hold in bridle either the malice or rage of reasonable people. John Hayward.
A law may be reasonable in itself, although a man does not allow it, or does not know the reason of the lawgivers. Jonathan Swift.
Let all things be thought upon,
That may with reasonable swiftness add
More feathers to our wings. William Shakespeare, Henry V.I could with reasonable good manner receive the salutation of her and of the princess Pamela, doing them yet no further reverence than one princess oweth to another. Philip Sidney.
A good way distant from the nigra rupes, there are four several lands of reasonable quantity. George Abbot, Descr. of the World.
Notwithstanding these defects, the English colonies maintained themselves in a reasonable good estate, as long as they retained their own ancient laws. John Davies, on Ireland.
ChatGPT
reasonable
Reasonable, as an adjective, refers to having sound judgment, being fair and sensible in decisions and actions. It can also describe something as being moderate or within rational or acceptable limits. When describing people, it often implies that they are generally guided by logic and practicality rather than emotions.
Webster Dictionary
Reasonablenoun
having the faculty of reason; endued with reason; rational; as, a reasonable being
Reasonablenoun
governed by reason; being under the influence of reason; thinking, speaking, or acting rationally, or according to the dictates of reason; agreeable to reason; just; rational; as, the measure must satisfy all reasonable men
Reasonablenoun
not excessive or immoderate; within due limits; proper; as, a reasonable demand, amount, price
Reasonableadverb
reasonably; tolerably
Editors Contribution
British National Corpus
Spoken Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'reasonable' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1782
Written Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'reasonable' in Written Corpus Frequency: #1277
Adjectives Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'reasonable' in Adjectives Frequency: #213
Usage in printed sourcesFrom:
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Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of reasonable in Chaldean Numerology is: 7
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of reasonable in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2
Examples of reasonable in a Sentence
What we have sought is congressional cooperation to remove those obstacles so we could move forward in a reasonable way consistent with our national security interests, we haven't gotten it for years.
It would be reasonable for the foreign ministry that has professional expertise and experiences to take over nuclear talks, the summit's joint statement simply heralded the start of working-level negotiations, where all key, complex issues will be discussed, including the timeline of the North's dismantlement, its verification and corresponding U.S. action.
There’s no amount of infrastructure that we can put in a reasonable amount of time for a reasonable amount of money to prevent the flooding that occurred in Hurricane Harvey.
It's more that he appeals to the moderates, he's a fiscalconservative, a very conservativecandidate buthe's appealing to the people outthere who are reasonable and wantgovernment moving forward.
This is why we have juries, because this may come down to whether this was a reasonable intervention.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
References
Translations for reasonable
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- معقولArabic
- разу́мныBelarusian
- разуменBulgarian
- raonableCatalan, Valencian
- rozumnýCzech
- vernünftig, anständigGerman
- οφειλόμενος, λογικός, τίμιος, ευάρεστος, δικαιολογημένοςGreek
- razonableSpanish
- kohtuullinen, kunnollinen, joltinenkin, sopiva, järkeenkäypäFinnish
- correct, juste, raisonnable, satisfaisantFrench
- réasúnta, ciallmharIrish
- reusanta, cothromachScottish Gaelic
- razoábel, razoableGalician
- moderato, ragionevoleItalian
- 합리적인Korean
- rimelig, fornuftigNorwegian
- rasonableOccitan
- uzasadniony, rozsądny, satysfakcjonującyPolish
- satisfatório, razoável, em contaPortuguese
- удовлетворительный, недорогой, разумныйRussian
- arsyeshëmAlbanian
- makulTurkish
- 合理Chinese
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"reasonable." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LTD, 2026. Web. 24 Jul 2026. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/reasonable>.






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